It takes a sick person to abuse and torture animals. This behavior is a well-known warning signal for antisocial personality disorder and various forms of psychopathy. Cruelty to animals is also one leg of the “McDonald Triad” of behaviors that predict someone will become a violent criminal. There are a lot of debates about just how strong the link is, but there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that people who get their start by abusing animals go on to abuse people.

When police in St. Louis, Missouri answered a call about a mentally ill person at a local church who needed help, they found a far more urgent matter: a dog was lying on the ground bleeding profusely. An officer immediately summoned the Animal Cruelty Task Force at the Human Society of Missouri. The veterinarians who treated the dog, a poodle mix named Frannie, counted 19 stab wounds to her neck, back, and chest. The poor dog was also suffering from blood loss, trauma, and shock. The injuries were so extensive, they weren’t sure if she was going to survive. But miraculously, Frannie was starting to feel better after just a few days and a month later, she was basically back to normal.

The police officer who found Frannie was so glad to hear she’d pulled through that he decided to adopt her! Once this little survivor got a green light from the veterinarians, she was on her way to the perfect forever home.

We’ve posted a report from Inside Edition about this story. You’ll see just how lucky this dog was to survive such a vicious attack.